5 Valentine's Day Desserts That Are Sinfully Delicious

Fancy gifts and cheesy cards may be everywhere come February 14th, but we all know that the real star of Valentine's Day is good food. And yes, vegetable salads and entree soups are a must when it comes to swooning your S.O., but let's be honest: What we all look forward to the most on this day is dessert! So, if you want to cap off the night in the sweetest way possible (without spending the entire day in the kitchen), these five Valentine's Day desserts are bound to deliver.

1. Strawberry Mousse

Requiring just five ingredients, this Valentine's Day recipe can be a go-to for everyone who has very little time but still wants to impress their beau (or boo). Sometimes keeping it simple yields the best results.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups freeze dried strawberries
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/ tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

• In a bowl, add the strawberries and enough water to cover them. Let them hydrate for 15 minutes, remove excess liquid, and puree them using a fork.
• Next, add the sugar, lime juice, and strawberries to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook them, frequently stirring, until you are left with ¾ cup worth of mixture. Set aside to cool.
• Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract to a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir in the strawberry mixture and serve it in small cups.

2. Cherry Brownies

Baking brownies may seem like an overkill (especially when you have to prep an entire three-course meal), but this one-and-done variation is literally a Godsend. Ready in almost 30 minutes, this Valentine's Day recipe spares you the hassle but makes no discounts flavor-wise. So, you and your sweetheart won't be disappointed. PS: To make things more exciting, you can make them look like hearts, Cupid's arrows, or your initials.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup coconut oil, melted
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup freeze dried cherries
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp hazelnuts, chopped
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

• Add half a cup of water to a bowl and let the cherries soak in it for about 15 minutes. Then, squeeze away any excess liquid and set them aside.
• Next, preheat the oven to 300^oF and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, add the coconut oil and eggs and blend with an electric mixer until frothy.
• Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract and mix again.
• Now, add the flour, baking powder, and salt and blend once again until you form a batter.
• Fold in the hazelnuts, chocolate chips, and cherries, and spread the batter into the pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Once ready, remove from the oven, let cool, and cut into square pieces.
• (Optional) You could drizzle the brownies with red candy melts.

3. Chocolate Raspberry Panini

Serving paninis on such a special occasion may sound silly. But, between its fancy ingredients and intricate flavor combos, this adult-ish version tastes 10x better than the paninis we used to down as kids – so, it could make your V-Day one to remember.

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Ciabatta
• ¼ cup freeze dried raspberries
• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ cup bittersweet chocolate, melted
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 2-3 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

• Fill a small bowl with lukewarm water and add the raspberries. Let them soak for 15 minutes or until they hydrate.
• Meanwhile, cut the loaf into four rectangles. Then, using your hands, open up each rectangle, creating some sort of bread pocket with each.
• In a bowl, add the almond butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and spread 2-3 tbsp of the mixture onto each rectangle.
• Top with the raspberries, brush each bread pocket with butter and pop them into the press.
• Grill for 2-3 minutes and serve. If you feel like it, you can drizzle them with more chocolate and crumbled freeze dried fruit.

4. Berry Flapjacks

When it comes to love, there are no rules – which is why Valentine's Day is the perfect day to serve breakfast for dinner. Your better half will never see that coming, and chances are he/she will remember it for a long time.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• ¾ cup Berry De-lite Blend
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

• Add 1 ½ cup of water to a bowl and soak the Berry De-lite berries for about 15 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt).
• Whisk in the egg, milk, and berries, one at a time.
• Heat a non-stick pan and melt the butter over medium heat.
• Pour one-third of the batter onto the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Then, flip the pancake and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the pancake is cooked through.
• Repeat the last step with the remaining batter.
• Top with crumbled freeze dried fruit.
• Serve with maple/chocolate syrup or as is.

5. Chocolate-Covered Red Grape Truffles

Despite its fancy flair, this Valentine's Day recipe is, hands-down, one of the easiest things you'll ever have to make for your honey. And if you're having second thoughts about the red grapes (you know, because scoring some in the middle of February is almost impossible), note that our freeze dried red grapes are available all-year-round. So, problem solved!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp freeze dried grapes
• ½ cup Medjool dates, pitted
• ½ cup almond butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup dark chocolate
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

• Place the red grapes in a food processor and blend until they turn into a chunky powder.
• Then, add the dates and pulse again in long bursts until you form a thick paste. You may need to stop at times and scrape the sides with a spatula.
• Then, add the almond butter, vanilla extract, and salt and pulse until you have a smooth "dough."
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Using a spoon, scoop spoonfuls of the dough and place them on the baking sheet. Put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
• Now, add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl and place it over a pot with simmering water (double boiler). Once melted, stir in the coconut oil.
• Remove the truffles from the freezer and, with the help of two forks, dunk each one in the chocolate and roll it around to make sure it's evenly coated.
• Place them on the baking sheet and freeze once again for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Which Valentine's Day recipes are you planning on cooking for your S.O.? Let us know in the comments down below!

References:

1. https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/strawberry-mousse/
2. https://www.natalieshealth.com/dark-chocolate-cherry-brownies/
3. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chocolate-raspberry-panini-with-mascarpone-359814
4. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/american-blueberry-pancakes

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